Memorial Day BBQ

I'm sure we were the only people to think of this, but Henry and I had a mini bbq to celebrate Memorial Day, a day off from school, and a break from the rain. We made hamburgers, corn on the cob, grilled onions, and baked beans. I think that about covers it.

My New Residence: Before

So I've been waiting to post pictures of my new residence until I had beautiful "after" pictures to post. It's been over 5 months since I moved in, and still don't have those. And I've come to accept that they won't be coming any time soon. However, there's nothing like having a paper due to discover that this is, in fact, the perfect time to write a new blog post. So here are the before the pictures, and everyone can wait in suspense with me for the final look.

I am now truly enjoying the condo, but as you can see, it was in quite a state when I moved in. This was due both to the explosion that was my belongings, as well as the unexplainable paint choices made by the previous owner. These pictures don't truly capture the blue that was the walls.

Or the blue and gold combo. This may be the only time that my Tri County band uniform pillow was the perfect accessory. 

The blue just kept going. And even where it isn't dark blue, it's light blue. Although that's hard to tell in these pictures.  Here is a view of the kitchen. I really like how it's open to the rest of the space, but I am seriously considering painting the cabinets. I welcome all opinions/advice on that decision.

It also took me a while to get a real bed.

The bathroom is pretty standard. The condo was built in the same year as the house I grew up in. Amazingly, the faucet is the exact same one I used as a kid. Feels so familiar.

So that's the place at it's worst. My parents helped me paint and made huge strides in changing the look and feel, although there's still a ways to go. But it's home!

Happenings of Late

For better or for worse, I've definitely taken more time this quarter to do things not related to school. Henry has been an excellent guide for Seattle doin's. Our first visit was opening night at Emerald Downs, a horse track.

Woo-eee!

I am told that Emerald Downs is at the bottom of the list when it comes to race tracks. It's not exactly the Kentucky Derby.

Not his first time, Henry was already in possession of Emerald Downs paraphernalia.

My assessment of horse racing: eh.

Each race last only about a minute. Within that time, you can only see the horses for about 20 seconds. Then you have to wait another 30 minutes until the next race. I imagine on a nice day it can be quite pleasant. Our night, however, was quite cold. I spent a lot of time huddled under a blanket.

A vision of home. Kinda, but not really. I deemed this overkill.

Our next outing was to a Mariner's game. This was a good time, but also freezing. Don't be fooled by Henry's casual attire - it was incredibly cold when the sun went down. I really can't get a break with the weather here.

Losing a Bet

A long time ago I made an unfortunate bet about the outcome of the Nebraska v. UW bowl game. Then I made it worse with a double or nothing bet about where Benjamin Harrison fell in presidential order. As a result, four months later I was finally compelled to pay up and cook a meal. Here is the result:

Bierrocks!!!

 Fortunately I also benefited by losing. It's been almost 10 months since I last had bierrocks. Maybe I was inspired by all the MCC sales happening and Mennonite foods being enjoyed by others.

Of note, I also made Henry try some Dorothy Lynch.

Quick Break

I'm taking a quick break to finally post again. I took an even longer break to celebrate Valentines Day with Henry. We enjoyed a lovely meal at Morton's Steakhouse, and even got all gussied up for it. 

 

Besides that I've been pretty busy with school, although this quarter has been considerably better than last quarter. The first quarter seemed mostly concerned with getting adjusted to the program, Seattle, and being back in school. Now I actually feel compelled to accomplish something. 

The other big thing taking up my time has been getting settled in the new condo. I'm a couch away from feeling like I've actually made it a home, and I need to get some pics up from that as well. My parents were incredibly generous with their painting and light fixture changing skills, which made a huge difference.

Now back to my paper!

Mom Comes to Visit

I was so excited to have my mom visit this weekend. I have been looking forward to this since leaving Nebraska in September.

Sadly, I did not get to be a very good hostess. I don't know Seattle very well yet, and I'm pretty busy and stressed with school. But that's the great thing about moms, they always seem to forgive those things. 

So while I was in class, my mom braved the buses, the ever-changing weather, and the downtown crowds. I was so impressed. She now definitely knows more about the city and how to get around than I do.

Fortunately we did get to do some things together. Ostensibly, the purpose of the visit was to assist in condo buying. So we did get to tour some of the condos currently in consideration. Although none were specifically chosen, we were able to rule some out. 

We also went to Pike Place Market. Here we are with the fish. We enjoyed watching them being thrown, but we did not partake. It takes a little more than this market to convince a die-hard Nebraskan to eat fish.

Fish are for viewing, not eating!

One of my favorite parts of the market are the amazing flowers.

Flowers, flowers, flowers!

Although there was a lot of tempting food, we stuck to just buying flowers.

Ignore the dirty dishes...

On Sunday after the market we took a harbor cruise. We had great timing, in that our cruise managed to happen in between two rain storms. It was still a little cold and windy, but we were able to enjoy a good bit of it outside before retreating into the boat.

No rain for us!

Mom and the City

In addition to our cruise and the market, we enjoyed some tasty eats, did some shopping, and got in some relaxing (such a treat for me!).

Last day

I already miss having her here. I am so grateful that she left behind a legacy in the form of semmel dough in the fridge. I am already looking forward to the next visit.

Bike Commuting

As I mentioned, I have been commuting to school every day by bike. It has been fabulous. I have been very lucky and haven't had to ride through any real rain. I think that will change, but for now I'm going to enjoy it. 

I live 3.8 miles from school. This is a really doable distance on a bike. I am surprised, however, by how hilly Seattle is. So. Hilly. Although I don't really encounter too many steep hills in my commute, there are several long grades that absolutely destroy my legs. I'm hoping it will get easier with time....

Before intervention.

I rode my bike a fair amount in DC, but only for fun or for exercise. So I never really carried a load. Now I carry my books, school stuff, and a change of clothes (3.8 miles + hills = just sweaty enough to want to change clothes).  So I decided I needed to add a bike rack.
.



 

During intervention.

Clearly the grad school budget for bike racks = do your own installation. That aside, I was actually really excited to install my own rack. As I've increased my riding I've really wanted to learn more about bike maintenance in general. Additionally, although I haven't even started classes yet, orientation has provided plenty of information and discussion (and fear) regarding the next six (or seven) years, including but not limited to the dreaded dissertation. Given that, I really, really enjoyed this time limited project with clear and tangible outcomes. I think they will be few and far between in the next years.

Success!

So with far more effort than was probably required, I successfully installed my bike rack. I think it's a little less than level, but will hopefully get the job done.


Next step: panniers!